PAINTED TURTLE

(Chrysemys picta), brightly marked North American turtle (family Emydidae) found from southern Canada to northern Mexico. The painted turtle is a smooth-shelled reptile with a shell about 10 to 18 centimetres (4 to 7 inches) long. It has red and yellow markings on its black or greenish brown upper shell, which is relatively flat. The painted turtle usually lives in quiet, shallow bodies of fresh water, especially those with thickly planted mud bottoms. It feeds on plants, small animals, and some carrion. It often basks in large groups on logs and other objects, and in many areas it hibernates during the winter.